Virtual reality stroke rehab platform gets FDA clearance

MindMaze, a Swiss neurogaming company, has received FDA clearance for its virtual reality rehab platform for stroke and traumatic injury patients.

The MindMotion Pro platform features both motion capture technology and virtual 3D environments to help stroke patients regain the use of affected upper-body limbs.

Patients are presented with a scenario that challenges them to perform simple functions such as pointing, reaching or grasping using a virtual representation of their non-functional limb.

This virtual limb is controlled using the functional limb, for example, a patient who has lost the use of their left arm will use their right arm to complete each scenario. This method can kickstart the recovery of the non-functional limb’s capabilities.

The platform is given to stroke patients as a rehabilitation programme as early as one to six weeks post-stroke.

According to the company, beginning the therapy early can dramatically improve a patient’s recovery time as well as reduce losses in economic activity resulting from the condition – a number that currently sits at around $65 billion based on the approximately 800,000 US citizens that experience a stroke every year.

“Our work at the forefront of neuroscience and virtual reality allows patients to recover faster and return more fully to the life they lived before injury,” explained Dr. Tej Tadi, CEO and founder of MindMaze. “Over the last decade, we’ve honed this therapy to be cost-effective for both patients and healthcare providers.”

Alongside its newly FDA-cleared MindMotion Pro, the company has also completed 261 patient trials for its MindMotion Go.

MindMotion Go is designed as a portable version of MindMotion Pro, acting as either an outpatient equivalent or a continuation of the same rehabilitation care at home.

Results from a total patient population of 250 from therapy centre trials across the UK, Italy, Germany and Switzerland, MindMotion Go led to an increased patient engagement and adherence to therapy.

MindMotion Go is yet to receive FDA clearance.

Since its founding in 2012, MindMaze has accrued $108.5 million in funding, $100 million of which it obtained in February.